Department of Justice

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Cambrel Jamal Smart (29, Fort Lauderdale) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Smart to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he illegally possessed. Smart had pleaded guilty on December 1, 2022.

According to court documents, on January 5, 2022, at around 3:00 a.m., a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper pulled over a vehicle Smart was driving after it was observed traveling at a high rate of speed on I-75 in Collier County. The car was searched, after a Trooper could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and observed a clear plastic baggy containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, in the center console. Upon searching the vehicle, a Trooper found a loaded firearm between the front and back passenger-side seats. The firearm was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent DNA testing linked the firearm to Smart, who is a multi-convicted felon. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.